


Work Of The Body

by Dameceles



Series: A Marriage Of States [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Violence, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Sexual Content, Teenage Rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 16:35:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6122668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dameceles/pseuds/Dameceles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sumeragi takes Ryouma on a trip to Amusia— what more natural thing could happen than a newly officiated man seek out a muse or three?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Work Of The Body

**Author's Note:**

> This is very much set within [the AMOS AU](http://damoselceles.dreamwidth.org/2998.html#cutid1) where Sumeragi is the surviving parent so Ryouma's allowed to stay a kid longer, thus he might seem OOC compared to his older more mature self. This fic is about Ryouma's rebellious youth and while in-world he's considered "of age" just a warning by modern standards not every country/state/place IRL would consider him old enough for stuff like visiting brothels.

In Hoshido, they say it's a sin to heap dishonor upon your parents. But what about when parents heaped dishonor upon their children?

Since the age of ten-and-three Ryouma had known of how his sister had been bartered to the Kingdom of Nohr, how they had sold their own princess to be his future bride. It had been King Garon and King Sumeragi’s doing— a ridiculous scheme cooked up in Chevalier. When his father had told him he’d refused. Nohr had been Hoshido’s enemy since long before either of them had been born, it’d made no sense that they would willingly join their families together. But his refusal had meant nothing, the king had spoken and he was a mere prince not even yet a man. 

Ryouma and Hinoka had commiserated, tried to come up with their own schemes to escape it—  
Then such complaints had grown petty and unimportant. Ikona had died, a terrible lingering death inflicted by those with no honor. He had felt every measurement a boy then, unable to help his mother or his siblings or his father. They could only mourn together when she had passed.

Afterward, Ryouma had heard the rumors that’d spread on the heels of his mother’s funeral. The ones that said Queen Ikona had been a kami living among mortals. Never did one soul so deserve to be lauded with approval and praise. When she had died, they'd whispered that it was inevitable such a bright star would soon leave the earth and return to the heavens— as if rōnin hadn't been the ones who chained his mother to the stone of a cave and left her alone to die.

For an entire year he’d endured it, done his duties as high prince beyond reproach. Withstood watching Hinoka have to suddenly fill their mother’s place, while Takumi grew angry with loss, and Sakura remained unaware of what was missing. On his birthday, Sumeragi had acknowledged this fortitude and declared Ryouma an adult before all of Hoshido.

But then Hoshido’s king had demanded the high prince travel with him, all the way to the land of Muse. Ryouma had not been happy to leave Shirazaki behind, not with the loss still fresh in their family, but his father had insisted. When he’d tried to find out why Sumeragi had wanted to take the trip right then his father had simply answered, “You’re an adult now, my son. Act like one.” 

Ryouma’d had to bite his tongue in that moment to avoid protesting— it wasn’t as if he’d even wanted to go to this godsforsaken side of the continent! Still their ship had docked, they and their retainers departed to enter the city-state proper. There’d been nothing scheduled for the day of their arrival save resting from the journey… which was an opportunity the Hoshidonese prince couldn’t pass up.

Ryouma’d decided that he'd get some sort of enjoyment while in Amusia by taking in some of the local color. 

In his hand was an invitation to a house of entertainment, it'd taken him some time to locate the building addressed as the layout of the city seemed haphazard and cramped compared to Shirazaki. Funnily enough this Pleasure Palace had been modeled after his homeland’s signature architecture, though a poor imitation when surrounded by the rounded roofs and high arches of Muse. Not bothering to hide his smirk, he went to the entrance, handed over the invitation to the guard, and entered.

"Welcome to our house this day, how may I assist you?" Although the middle-aged Amusian woman behind the desk smiled sweetly at him, Ryouma caught the doubt in her gaze as she gave him the once over.

He set a tall stack of gold coins onto the desk's polished surface. "I would like to enjoy the pleasures of your house, as a man of age in Hoshido." Ryouma untied the scabbard of his katana and set it, still in its sheath, onto the desk. He edged it out so a section of the blade was bared and the receptionist could see that the katana was a full fighting weapon, not one stunted or dulled for an apprentice to practice with. It was proof that he was a declared adult, no matter how young his face might appear to her western gaze.

Ryouma guessed that the rules of these establishments were similar to those in the red light district back home. Pay up front, nominally for drink and conversation. Anything else you'd have to politely ask and have explained what was available, then provide payment for the difference. Client expectations had to be clear and with consent of the madam, so much as a stolen kiss could get you tossed out on the street.

His guess had been right and after a bit of discussion and additional payment to the Amusian madam Ryouma was led to a private room with some cushions, a low table, and an extravagantly covered mattress. Ryouma removed his shoes, left them on a rack by the door, and seated himself on a cushion. Then he was given a cup of grape wine, left with a decanter, and asked to wait. 

The prince of Hoshido’d had to leave all his weapons with the front desk, and hadn’t brought any armor— it left him feeling a bit bare and anxious. He swirled the clear liquid in the cup, before finally taking a sip. Ryouma had expected something sweet and sticky, but was pleasantly surprised to find it dry and refreshing.

There was a knock on the door. Ryouma stood and bade them enter. The muse he’d paid for was revealed. 

The woman was delicately built, her head only reached his shoulder, and she had long black hair that fell to the backs of her knees. He found her face beautiful, Hoshidan in her features despite the wide set of her mouth. She wore a richly embroidered yukata in bright dyes, though Ryouma could tell that it's cut was slightly off by the standards of Hoshidan high fashion. 

Yet her bow was properly respectful as she said, "My name is Nona. I shall entertain you this night, good sir."

Ryouma rose from his seat and returned the bow. "I look forward to our time together, Nona. Call me Ryuuichi."

Nona smiled with that wide mouth of hers, then sat on a cushion opposite from him. She peeked at him from under thick eyelashes as she asked, "Ryuuichi, have you come to Amusia all the way from Hoshido?"

"Yes. We arrived today."

"You must be tired then! Please relax." Nona topped off his cup with drink. "Who is it you're traveling with?"

"No one of importance," his voice was even. Inwardly Ryouma was proud that he projected calm while referring to his father.

The small talk continued a bit longer, on unimportant things. Then the muse asked, "Would you like me to recite some traditional poetry?"

Ryouma frowned. "I'm not that old-fashioned."

"No, no, please." Nona demurely averted her eyes, a hand rising to cover her mouth. "It has been a long time since I've had a customer who could appreciate the subtleties of old Hoshidonese poems."

Ryouma was saddened at the thought of this beautiful woman trapped in such a foreign land, and nodded his consent. "Very well."

The muse smiled, stood, and retrieved a small shamisen from the wall. Once settled on the cushion again, Nona idly strummed a few cords, then closed her eyes and recited with perfect enunciation:

"On the rocky shoreline,  
The blue, blue  
Jeweled seaweed, just offshore,  
With the wings of morning,  
Will the wind bring closer;  
With the wings of dusk,  
Will the waves draw closer;  
And with the waves,  
Moving forth and back,  
As the jeweled seaweed,  
My darling, once cuddled close,  
Like frosted dewdrops  
Fallen, left behind, so  
On this road  
With its eighty turnings  
A myriad times  
Have I turned my head, but  
Gradually more  
Distant is my home."

Nona's clear voice, the crisp wine, and her beauty Ryouma found enthralling— he was both content to relax and eager for where the night would lead. When the muse asked if he would like to hear another he declined and asked if he could approach her. After setting her instrument back against the wall Nona went to the mattress and gave her permission. As the Hoshidonese prince drew close, Ryouma scented her perfume: spicy like fresh citrus yet subtle.

They both disrobed, and Ryouma appreciated seeing the smooth swell of Nona's breasts and her creamy skin unimpeded. He told her as much, “Nona, you’re beautiful.”

“You flatter me, Ryuuichi.” The muse averted her eyes, but her hands took his and placed them upon the breasts he’d been admiring. 

As Ryouma explored the muse's body, he marveled at how she was warm, soft, and wet. Nona murmured where she wanted his fingers, shifted to change the pressure and the angle, breathed moistly against his collarbone while her delicate fingers were firm around his arousal. Ryouma allowed her to move him as she saw fit. 

Then with them both on their knees the muse wiggled back against him— until his hips were nestled close to Nona’s backside, a position similar to what he’d seen animals do in the forests. Ryouma took himself in his hand and then pressed into her and into her and into her until their hips were flush. He had to stop and took controlled breaths at the sensation of his body intimately embraced by hers, wet and warm and pliant. It felt as though her whole body sucked him in, ate him up.

But then Nona wiggled her hips and their bodies took up the instinctual rocking that was as ancient as the tides. Their skin slapped together lewdly and Nona's heavy breathy moans encouraged him. Ryouma felt like an adult. He felt powerful. He felt like a warrior taking his claim as the woman underneath him squirmed and moaned for him— to take her, go at her harder, fill her up, bring her to completion.

Beads of sweat gathered and ran down his body, there was clenching feeling that gathered in the pit of his stomach. Ryouma didn’t know how much longer he could hold out, and he rocked his hips so forcefully against Nona that she jerked forward with each thrust. Ryouma was desperate for the coiling ache in his loins to end, he was so close he could almost— 

Abruptly the muse’s body squeezed down on him and that's all it took for Ryouma to climax. His world was alight with euphoria and something, something that he suddenly didn’t understand what it meant. Then suddenly it was over. Ryouma’s body shook as he pulled out, then fell on his side against the mattress. He understood that the muse was praising him but hadn’t the mind to focus on the words being said.

After experiencing this, the Hoshidonese prince knew that chastity would be both a chore and a challenge… But as he thought on it, he had also received plenty of advances from pretty girls within Shirazaki, so there was no reason to live chastely any longer. With the comfortable mattress beneath him and still tired from the journey, Ryouma promptly fell asleep. 

When he woke, he found Nona playing a gentle melody on her shamisen and he apologized for drifting off. The muse accepted it graciously and then showed Ryouma where he could clean himself off. After he was bathed, they shared a meal of grilled chicken fillets and salad made from greens, olives, tomato, and mint. His next coupling with Nona was less hurried but no less pleasurable, Ryouma managed to last longer than the first time and found his release all the more intense.

It continued like this through the night and into the following morning, then well into the next days, Ryouma felt as though he was in a dream. Surrounded by soft smiles, willing flesh, all wanting to give him pleasure— whether it was with physical touch, good drink and food, or a relaxing bath. Nona didn't remain for his entire stay in the Pleasure Palace, but all the muses who came to his rooms were Hoshidonese beauties with sleek bodies and dark, trailing hair.

Yet like all dreams this one came to an end.

The next morning the door to the private room crashed open, the muse lying with him shrieked with fright while Ryouma gave an indignant squawk. He covered his naked loins with his hands, as a furious blush rose on his cheeks. Ryouma felt like a trapped animal, laid out all bare and on display— his fully armed and armored father loomed in the doorway, staring down with shock and disapproval.

Thankfully Sumeragi permitted the Hoshidonese prince to dress, retrieved his weapons from the madam, and they’d walked out of the establishment with a startled muse as the only indecent. They continued to walk back towards the inn their small retinue had booked rooms at and were halfway there before he began his lecture. "So, you've wasted our traveling funds on loose women and luxurious rooms?"

“Yes,” Ryouma bit out. He had swiped a purse full of gold coin when he’d snuck away, with every intention to spend the entire thing. But they had two more just like it, so his trip to the Pleasure Palace had hardly left them destitute.

His father sighed. “If you wished to visit a brothel, appropriate measures could’ve been taken-”

Ryouma interrupted, “This was my choice! I didn’t, I didn’t need you _choosing_ another thing for me.”

They were almost to the inn when Sumeragi stopped walking, and Ryouma also halted. His father’s gaze and voice were stern as he said, "Is that what this is about? How can you act so foolishly! Even Hinoka has come to terms-"

"Hinoka's barely lived through eleven winters," the furious words burst out of him. "She should look forward to the future, not settle for bad decisions that you've made!"

Ryouma couldn't say anything further as his head snapped to the side with the force of Sumeragi's hand to his cheek. For a moment the blow left him numb, before he felt blood rushing to the side of his face and restoring feeling with pins and needles. He felt the muscles in his neck tweak as he turned his head back to face the older man.

"I thought you were of age, a man, but it seems you have a lot of growing up to do." His father crossed his arms over his armored chest. “I had planned for us to travel all the way to Nohr to introduce you to King Garon and his children. But I cannot risk such dishonor when you act so shamefully.”

 _Good,_ Ryouma swallowed down the venomous retort. He held onto the bitterness as shame threatened to overwhelm him. If any in Shirazaki heard of his actions here, it’d shadow him all his life— his siblings would never look at him with that same reverent respect. Still he hadn’t broken eye contact with Sumeragi. This was the first time Ryouma had acted on his anger despite holding it inside him for three years— it felt good, just as coupling with those muses had felt good. He wasn’t ashamed of that part.

Sumeragi put a strangely shaped whistle to his lips and blew, though Ryouma heard no sound from it.

“My liege.” 

Ryouma nearly drew his katana as another person appeared, seemingly out of thin air. Then he stood down, seeing it was another Hoshidan, a shinobi who’d traveled with their group. The right side of the young man’s face was covered by bandages, the largest swathe of them over that eye. The red haired ninja’s visible eye met his gaze and did not look away.

Sumeragi nodded to the newcomer. “Saizou the fifth is under orders to accompany you for the remainder of our visit in Muse. To ensure you don’t make a further fool of yourself, Ryouma.”

“Father-”

“No, you address the king of Hoshido- you will do as I say!”

From his father’s tone Ryouma knew no argument would be brooked and that he’d landed himself in hot water. So he swallowed his pride and bowed his head, “…yes, my king.” 

Sumeragi heaved a sigh, and placed a heavy hand on the top of Ryouma’s bowed head to ruffle his hair. Then he turned away from both younger men and went inside the Inn.

Once he was gone, Ryouma turned to fully face the other Hoshidan. “So you’re to be my minder?”

“King Sumeragi says you’ve had enough entertainment for one journey.” There was a wryness to the ninja’s tone that turned his words humorous and avoided offense. Ryouma momentarily let go of his bitterness and allowed it to be so. 

The Hoshidonese prince allowed a corner of his mouth to kick up as he asked, “With entertainment off the agenda, what shall we do?”

“If you’re asking for suggestions…” Saizou continued only after Ryouma nodded, “When we get back to Hoshido, you should ask Kagerou if you can join her meditating under waterfalls. It’d cool your head, milord.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Lumi for helping me come up with teen!Ryouma’s fake name. Ryuuichi means dragon 1, he’s the firstborn; VA joke, he’s voiced by (r)Yuuichi Nakamura.
> 
> Nona recites an excerpt from the poem from _The Bay of Tsunu_ by [Kakinomoto Hitomaro ](http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Kakinomoto_Hitomaro).
> 
> Sumeragi slapping Ryouma was inspired by the fact that [Ryouma hits Shinonome at the end of his paralogue in the Japanese script](http://letshuntforbears.tumblr.com/post/140099274838/paralogue-7), following [the trope in Japanese media that a parent hitting their child in the face is a symbolic bonding moment](http://sopheliajapan.blogspot.com/2012/05/marumo-no-okite-and-monster-parents.html#.VtJFudB8tC0). Also cause of canon domestic violence and differing cultural attitudes.


End file.
